For Immediate Release Contact: Dan Gordon, 617-651-0841
Dec. 11, 2019

Bipartisan Immigration Bill Passes the House

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A bipartisan bill offering much-needed immigration and agriculture workforce reforms passed in the House of Representatives today.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act passed with support from 34 Republicans. The bill would allow current undocumented farmworkers to make restitution and earn legal status, creating stability and opportunity for American farmers.

The bill would reform and expand the H-2A temporary worker visa program, allowing for a legal and stable workforce in a sector facing labor shortages. The bill also would require E-Verify for the agricultural sector, among other reforms.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where its future is uncertain.

“Bipartisanship lives, and for good reason,” said Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum. “This bill would provide reform critical to America’s farmers and the stable workforce they need.

“We need to see more of this kind of compromise, starting with this bill in the Senate. If we do, it will establish a foundation for future bipartisan immigration solutions.”

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